person shrugging

An emoji that means "I don't know" or "I don't care." Try using it when you don't know the answer to a question.

Besides simply meaning "I don't know," it can also convey a sense of accepting a situation, like "it can't be helped." You can use it like, "I just got here too 🤷" when a friend is late.

Windows 11

Apple

🤷

Google

The "shrug" gesture is understood with a similar meaning across many cultures. It can express more than just ignorance, extending to resignation, indifference, or even a sense of helplessness.

Before it became an emoji, it gained immense popularity online as the text emoticon `¯\_(ツ)_/¯`. In modern society with too many choices, it has also become a symbol of a cool attitude, meaning "anything is fine."